Jesus and the Avatar
by Balin Lord of Moria
Summary: What makes the Eight Virtues of Avatarhood and the Gargish Virtues compatible with the similar (but not identical) virtues of God? Based off of the Age of Enlightenment trilogy. I don't own Ultima or the Bible, so please, no flames.
1. Honesty

_**Honesty**_

The blue hand, with its palm outwards,  
A sign of honesty,  
An emblem of trust,  
And an oath  
To tell nothing but the truth.

* * *

_Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body._ – Ephesians 4:25

_Lord, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellow man._ – Psalm 15:1-3

* * *

_Honesty is scrupulous respect for truth-the willingness never to deceive oneself or another._ – The Book of Lore

_Honesty is the pursuit of truthfulness, with respect to oneself and with respect to other beings._ – A Safe Passage Through Britannia

_Thou shalt not lie, or thou shalt lose thy tongue._ – Blackthorn's Law of Honesty

_Take not the gold of others found in towns and castles for yours it is not!  
__Cheat not the merchants and peddlers for 'tis an evil thing to do!_ – Wisdom of the Shrine of Honesty_  
_

_A dishonest life brings unto thee temporary gain, but forsakes the permanent._ – The Failing of Dishonesty


	2. Compassion

_**Compassion**_

The picture of a man giving freely to a beggar,  
With the warm color of yellow  
And the red rose of love,  
A sign of true compassion, is it not?

* * *

_Clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience._ – Colossians 3:12

_Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others._ – Philippians 2:4

_Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. _– Romans 12:15

_The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me._ – Matthew 25:40

_Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ._ – Galatians 6:2

_Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you._ – Ephesians 4:32

* * *

_Compassion is non-judgmental empathy for one's fellow creatures._ – The Book of Lore

_Compassion is the quality of empathy, of recognizing and sharing the feelings of others._ – A Safe Passage Through Britannia

_Thou shalt help those in need, or thou shalt suffer the same need._ – Blackthorn's Law of Compassion

_Kill not the non-evil beasts of the land, and do not attack the fair people!  
__Give of thy purse to those who beg and thy deed shall not be forgotten!_ – Wisdom of the Shrine of Compassion_  
_

_Only a detested life owes its pleasures to another's pain._ – The Heart of a Cruel Soul


	3. Valor

_**Valor**_

The evil monsters and demons of the world  
Are a breed of fear in the eyes of the people.  
But give one man/woman a sword of the spirit,  
And an innate sense of spiritual valor;  
Then the beasts shall see their red wrath of righteousness  
And nothing unholy can cower a righteous one.

* * *

_I will wait on the Lord, and I will be of good courage and he shall strengthen my heart._ – Psalm 27:14

_In all things, we are more than conquerors through him that loved us._ – Romans 8:37

_The Lord is with thee thou mighty man/woman of valor._ – Judges 6:12

_The wicked flee when no one is pursuing, but the righteous are bold as a lion._ – Proverbs 28:1

* * *

_Valor is the courage to take actions in support of one's convictions. _– The Book of Lore

_Valor is the courage to uphold virtue, even in the face of a physical or psychological threat._ – A Safe Passage Through Britannia

_Thou shalt fight to the death if challenged, or thou shalt be banished as a coward._ – Blackthorn's Law of Valor

_Victories scored over evil creatures help to build a valorous soul!  
__To flee from battle with less than grievous wounds often shows a coward!_ – Wisdom of the Shrine of Valor_  
_

_Those who fear to try, know not their limits and thus know not themselves._ – The Failing of a Life Without Valor


	4. Justice

_**Justice**_

When crimes or sins are committed in the world,  
All who are guilty deserve their own fairness  
In a court of law and order,  
And in every court where justice is practiced,  
The green scales are tipped in fairness  
To the guilty and the innocent alike.

* * *

…_For the Lord is a God of justice, Blessed are all who wait for him!_ – Isaiah 30:18

_For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them._ – Isaiah 61:8

_This is what the Lord Almighty says, "Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another."_ – Zechariah 7:9

_Woe to you Pharisees, because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue and all other kinds of garden herbs, but you neglect justice and the love of God…_ – Luke 11:42

* * *

_Justice is the devotion to truth, tempered by love._ – The Book of Lore

_Justice is the wisdom that perceives what is right and wrong in human action._ – A Safe Passage Through Britannia

_Thou shalt confess to thy crime and suffer its just punishment, or thou shalt be put to death._ – Blackthorn's Law of Justice

_To take the gold of others is injustice not soon forgotten. Take only thy due!  
__Attack not a peaceful citizen for that action deserves strict punishment!  
__Kill not a non-evil beast for they deserve not death, even if in hunger they attack thee!_ – Wisdom of the Shrine of Justice_  
_

_Those who inflict injustice upon others, cannot expect fair treatment unto themselves._ – The Weakness of the Unjust


	5. Sacrifice

_**Sacrifice**_

When someone else is in a time of need,  
Would you not wish to shed a few tears?  
Then why not help them to overcome it,  
Even if it means losing your own bearings?

* * *

_Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship._ – Romans 12:1

…_So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him._ – Hebrews 9:28

_He [Jesus] is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world._ – 1 John 2:2

_Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends._ – John 15:13

* * *

_Sacrifice is the courage to give of oneself in the name of love._ – The Book of Lore

_Sacrifice is the placing of the interests of others and the ends of virtue over one's well-being._ – A Safe Passage Through Britannia

_Thou shalt donate half of thy income to charity, or thou shalt have no income._ – Blackthorn's Law of Sacrifice

_To give thy last gold piece unto the needy shows good measure of self-sacrifice!  
__For thee to flee and leave thy companions is a self-serving action to be avoided!  
__To give of thy life's blood so that others may live is a virtue of great praise!_ – Wisdom of the Shrine of Sacrifice_  
_

_None live alone, save they who will not share their fortune with those around them._ – The Failing of Unwilling Sacrifice


	6. Honor

_**Honor**_

A chalice of wine, made of gold and jewels,  
Is filled with the honorable deeds,  
Of paladins and other heroes  
With the unwavering courage  
To stand up for the royal truth.

* * *

"_Look," he [Stephen] said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God."_ – Acts 7:56

_Then Peter said, "Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?..."_ – Acts 5:3

_For two whole years Paul stayed there [Rome] in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ._ – Acts 28:30-31

* * *

_Honor is the courage to stand for the truth, against any odds._ – The Book of Lore

_Honor is the courage to stand for truth regardless of the circumstances._ – A Safe Passage Through Britannia

_If thou dost lose thine own honor, thou shalt take thine own life._ – Blackthorn's Law of Honor

_Take not the gold of others for this shall bring dishonor upon thee!  
__To strike first a non-evil being is by no means an honorable deed!  
__Seek ye to solve the many Quests before thee, and honor shall be a reward!_ – Wisdom of the Shrine of Honor_  
_

_It is the guilt, not the guillotine, that constitutes the shame._ – The Darkness of Dishonor


	7. Spirituality

_**Spirituality**_

To get in touch with one's inner spirit,  
He/she must look deep within him/herself,  
And discover their awareness of the love that unites  
All living things into an eternal unity.

* * *

_Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me._ – Psalm 51:10-12

_Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight._ – Proverbs 3:5-6

_Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."_ – John 14:6

_Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!_ – Luke 19:38

_This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus._ – Romans 3:22-24

_So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?"_ – Hebrews 13:6

_But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit._ – Jude 20

* * *

_Spirituality is concern with one's inner being, and how one deals with truth, love, and courage._ – The Book of Lore

_Spirituality is a concern for one's own inner being, and awareness of the love that unites one's own inner being to those around one._ – A Safe Passage Through Britannia

_Thou shalt enforce the laws of virtue, or thou shalt die as a heretic._ – Blackthorn's Law of Spirituality

_Seek ye to know thyself. Visit the seer often for he can see into thy inner being!  
__Meditation leads to enlightenment. Seek ye all Wisdom and Knowledge!_ – Wisdom of the Shrine of Spirituality_  
_

_To forsake one's inner being is to abandon thy hopes for thyself and thy world._ – The Neglect of One's Spirit


	8. Humility

_**Humility**_

The value of all things, living and un-living,  
Is what a humble man/woman must use,  
To discover their own place in the world,  
And retain their own blessed humility.  
For one humble but righteous person  
Is greater than all the hosts of error.

* * *

_He has showed you, O Man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God._ – Micah 6:8

_He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them his way._ – Psalm 25:9

_All of you clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble." Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time._ – 1 Peter 5:5-6

_Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up._ – James 4:10

* * *

_Humility is perceiving one's place in the world, not according to one's own accomplishments, but according to the intrinsic value of all individuals._ – The Book of Lore

_Humility is the recognition of the worthiness of all beings, and the perception of one's own place among them, regardless of one's own personal accomplishments or mistakes in the world._ – A Safe Passage Through Britannia

_Thou shalt humble thyself to thy superiors, or thou shalt suffer their wrath._ – Blackthorn's Law of Humility

_Claim not to be that which thou art not. Humble actions speak well of thee!  
__Strive not to wield the Great Force of Evil for its power will overcome thee!_ – Wisdom of the Shrine of Humility_  
_

_Pride is a vice, which Pride itself inclines one to find in others, and overlook in oneself._ – The Weakness of a Life Consumed By Pride


	9. Pride

_**Pride**_

Pride can strengthen one's self-respect,  
And make him/her feel joy at what they have achieved.  
But if it is used in great excess,  
It can be an anti-virtue, opposed to humility.  
And sadly, many people in the world  
Are subject to this kind of arrogance.

* * *

_To fear the Lord is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech._ – Proverbs 8:13

_Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall._ – Proverbs 16:18

_Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. _– Luke 18:14

* * *

_The absence of truth, love, and courage is Pride. Pride is the surest measure of goals never attained. Pride goes before, shame comes after. This shame leads to awareness of Humility, the root from which all virtues grow. Humility is to strip oneself of all conceits._ – The Magincian Ghosts


	10. The Three Principles

_**The Three Principles**_

Truth is the foundation of all things true and right,  
While falsehood is the perversion of all things to lies,  
And illusion is the path to deceptive sorcery.  
Love is good will that makes beings act civilized with each other,  
While hatred is a vice that destroys harmony and life,  
And beauty without love is pale, meaningless and partial.  
Courage makes one able to do difficult tasks,  
While cowardice is its opponent that strangles bravery,  
And power, or plain fighting, leaves an empty shell of former courage.

* * *

**Truth**

_O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend;…_ – Psalm 15:1-3

**Falsehood**

_They only plan to thrust him down from his high position. They take pleasure in falsehood. They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse._ – Psalm 62:4

**Illusion**

_Then I will draw near to you for judgment. I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers…_ – Malachi 3:5

* * *

**Love**

_The second is this: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." There is no other commandment greater than these._ – Mark 12:31

**Hatred**

_Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses._ – Proverbs 10:12

**Beauty**

_But you trusted in your beauty and played the whore because of your renown and lavished your whorings on any passerby; your beauty became his._ – Ezekiel 16:15

_[Women] Do not let your adorning be external-the braiding of hair and the putting on of gold jewelry, or the clothing you wear-but let your adorning be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which in God's sight is very precious._ – 1 Peter 3:3-4

* * *

**Courage**

_But the people, the men of Israel, took courage, and again formed the battle line in the same place where they had formed it on the first day._ – Judges 20:22

**Cowardice**

_But as for the cowardly,…their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death._ – Revelation 21:8

**Power**

_For the ruthless shall come to nothing and the scoffer cease, and all who watch evil shall be cut off,…_ – Isaiah 29:20-21


	11. The Laws of Virtue

_**The Laws of Virtue**_

The Virtues of the Avatar and the decrees of God  
Were both made into strict laws to keep peace and order.  
But the Lord Blackthorn's Code of Virtue was harsh and brutal,  
And forced the Virtues on people with the threat of a punishment;  
The people of Britannia knew the Virtues came from one's self  
And that codifying ethics does not make bad people good.

The laws of God are neither brutal nor harsh,  
And Jesus came to fulfill them on his ministry,  
But knowing that man cannot follow them perfectly,  
He came to save us from sin and grant a new gift to us:  
While the law reminds us of our sins,  
The gospel liberates and frees us from them.

* * *

**Lord Blackthorn's Code of Virtue**

Honesty – _Thou shalt not lie, or thou shalt lose thy tongue._

Compassion – _Thou shalt help those in need, or thou shalt suffer the same need._

Valor – _Thou shalt fight to the death if challenged, or thou shalt be banished as a coward._

Justice – _Thou shalt confess to thy crime and suffer its just punishment, or thou shalt be put to death._

Sacrifice – _Thou shalt donate half of thy income to charity, or thou shalt have no income._

Honor – _If thou dost lose thine own honor, thou shalt take thine own life._

Spirituality – _Thou shalt enforce the laws of virtue, or thou shalt die as a heretic._

Humility – _Thou shalt humble thyself to thy superiors, or thou shalt suffer their wrath._

Blackthorn's Code is a good illustration of the fact that the Virtues always come from one's own inner self rather than the norms of society; codifying ethics into law does not automatically make evil people good. Further, unethical lawmakers can take the Virtues and turn them into something that is quite contrary to what Virtues actually stand for.

* * *

**The Ten Commandments**

_You shall have no other gods before me.  
__You shall not make for yourself a graven image, nor will you bow down to it or serve it.  
__You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain.  
__Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.  
__Honor your father and your mother.  
__You shall not murder.  
__You shall not commit adultery.  
__You shall not steal.  
__You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.  
__You shall not covet your neighbor's house, or his wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.__  
_

Exodus 20:3-17

* * *

**Grace Through Faith**

_Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you._ – Matthew 7:7

_Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven._ – Matthew 6:10, The Lord's Prayer

_For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged under the law._ – Romans 2:12

_None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one. _– Romans 3:10-12

_But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe._ – Romans 3:21-22

_What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, "You shall not covet."…For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin._ – Romans 7:7, 14

_Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through out Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. _– Romans 5:1-2


	12. The Gargish Virtues

_**The Gargish Virtues**_

The gargoyles, another race in Britannia,  
Was misunderstood for its ways that seemed evil,  
Because of a resemblance to daemons,  
They were thought of as unholy and devil-like.  
But all that these noble creatures wanted  
Was to follow their own set of Virtues.  
A system they had of great significance,  
That helped them survive in their harsh world.  
It stresses unity and singularity the most,  
And creates the idea of a circle with no end.

* * *

**The Principles**

Control – _For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died…_ – 2 Corinthians 5:14

Passion – _Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…the one who leads, with zeal…_ – Romans 12:6, 8

Diligence – _And those who are far off shall come and help to build the temple of the Lord. And you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And this shall come to pass, if you will diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God._ – Zechariah 6:15

**The Virtues**

Direction – Control  
Feeling – Passion  
Persistence – Diligence  
Balance – Control and Passion  
Achievement – Passion and Diligence  
Precision – Control and Diligence  
Order – Absence of Control, Passion, and Diligence  
Singularity – Control, Passion, and Diligence  
Chaos – Opposite of Order, anti-Virtue

Direction – _May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ._ – 2 Thessalonians 3:5

Feeling – _For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?_ – 1 Thessalonians 3:9-10

Persistence – _Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity…Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress. Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers._ – 1 Timothy 4:11-12, 15-16

Balance – _A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight. When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom. The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them. Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death._ – Proverbs 11:1-4

Achievement – _Then the commanders of the Philistines came out to battle, and as often as they came out David had more success than all the servants of Saul, so that his name was highly esteemed._ – 1 Samuel 18:30

Precision – _He [Apollo] had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately._ – Acts 18:25-26

Order – _Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. _– Matthew 7:24-25

Singularity – _Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you._ – Matthew 5:3-12, The Beatitudes

Chaos – _And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it._ – Matthew 7:26-27

* * *

**The Book of Circles**

_"All begins with the three principles: Control, Passion and Diligence. From Control springs Direction. From Passion springs Feeling. From Diligence springs Persistence. But these three virtues are no more important than the other five: Control combines with Passion to give Balance. Passion combines with Diligence to yield Achievement. And Diligence joins with Control to provide Precision. The absence of Control, Passion and Diligence is Chaos. Thus the absence of the principles points toward the seventh virtue, Order. The three principles unify to form Singularity. This is the eighth virtue, but it is also the first, because within Singularity can be found all the principles, and thus all the virtues. A circle has no end. It continues forever, with all parts equally important in the success of the whole. Our society is the same. It too continues forever, with all members (and all virtues) equal parts of the unified whole."_

**Wisdom of the Shrine of Singularity**

_"Let the principle of control guide thy quest. Let the principle of passion drive thy quest. Let the principle of diligence maintain thy quest. Then wilt thou truly achieve the unified spirit and singularity of purpose that is necessary for success in all endeavors. This is the gargoyle way; let it be thy way as well."_


End file.
